Alabama's 2026 Federal and State Elections Will Be One to Remember

The 2026 election cycle in Alabama will be one for the record books.

First, let’s look at the ballots. By the time voters are done going to the polls, Alabama will be sending a slew of new leaders to both Montgomery and Washington D.C. Almost every Alabama constitutional office will turn over due to term limits, which does not usually happen during the same election period. This really is a change election in the state this year that will mean new priorities and different state agency heads when it comes to the governance for Alabama. So come January of 2027, there will be an almost complete overhaul of officials getting sworn into office.

Secondly, this will be an unusual election cycle because the top two candidates for Alabama Governor have already faced off once before in an election. Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Tommy Tuberville fought it out six years ago for a seat to represent Alabama in the United States Senate, that Tuberville ultimately won. Now they will likely be squaring off in November to see who will be the next governor of Alabama. Senator Tuberville has the edge in the ruby-red state for certain, but there will be a lot of monies pouring into both campaigns between now and the general election in the fall.

Finally, because of a redistricting battle being fought out in the Courts, it looks like there will be another party primary for four of Alabama’s congressional seats come August, meaning voters will have an extra opportunity to mark their ballots for new districts for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives. The legal issues are still being litigated with federal judges, so there are a lot of moving parts. Democrats are still trying to keep two of Alabama’s seven seats in their hands, but Republicans want an all GOP delegation.

So gear up for a busy and historic campaign season this year.

Paul DeMarco, a native of Alabama, is a former member of the Alabama State House of Representatives and can be found on X at @Paul_DeMarco.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.